Alexandra Primary School

ALEXANDRA PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM POLICY

Introduction The curriculum is the totality of pupils’ learning experiences. At Alexandra Primary School we believe that our curriculum should be broad, balanced and relevant and meet the needs of all children whatever their ability. Our curriculum also serves the important purpose of motivating and engaging children with their learning.

The taught curriculum is comprised of The National Curriculum and the wider curriculum. By developing our own schemes of work we have ensured that the children have a range of relevant learning experiences that challenge, stimulate and promote thinking and learning. The curriculum meets statutory requirements.

Aims The aims of our curriculum are to:  promote high standards in reading, writing and maths;  allow children to develop a knowledge of themselves in time and space;  enable children to acquire knowledge and skills in science;  enable children to be confident in the use of ICT in a broad range of contexts;  promote spiritual development;  promote physical and mental development and an awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle;  enable children to be aware of the importance of and participate in the arts and related cultural themes;  enable pupils to develop moral sensibility through carefully taught values;  develop the personal and social skills of each child;  provide equality of access and the opportunity for all pupils to make progress;  prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult life. The curriculum is planned to provide continuity and progression. It promotes an enjoyment of learning and a commitment to learning and achieving. Through the provision of rich and varied activities, taught through well planned topics we:

 encourage the best possible progress and the highest attainment for all pupils;  enable pupils to make connections across different areas of learning;  help pupils to think creatively and solve problems;  develop pupils’ capacity to learn and work independently and collaboratively;  enable pupils to respond positively to opportunities, challenge and responsibility;  enable pupils to acquire and develop a broad range of learning skills as well as knowledge and understanding.

Broad Guidelines

The Reception Year follows the DfE Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage which includes seven areas of learning:- . Personal, social and emotional development; . Communication and Language . Literacy . Mathematical development; . Knowledge and understanding of the world; . Physical development; . Creative development. Where pupils move into Year 1 without having achieved all aspects of the EYFS, they continue to be taught in line with the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Transition to the Year 1 curriculum does not happen at a point in time but rather when pupils have reached that stage in their development.

From Year 1 to Year 6 the Alexandra curriculum consists of: . The National Curriculum; the programmes of study for each subject are used as the broad basis for the long term and medium term plans. . The National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy supplement the English and Maths curriculum respectively. . Haringey’s agreed syllabus for RE . PSHE is taught using materials form the Social Emotional, Aspects of learning toolkit . From Reception through to Year 6 opportunities will be taken to extend the curriculum beyond the statutory requirements through:

. visitors, including artists, craftspeople, actors, musicians; . the use of the school grounds, the locality and the wider environment; . cross-curricular themed weeks, often linked to national events; . educational visits; . support of parents;

Many of these activities will embrace the cultural diversity of the society in which we live.

The Organisation of the Curriculum  The curriculum is taught through a combination of exciting cross-curricular topic work (see appendix a) and some discrete subject teaching.  Where possible, Literacy units are explicitly linked to cross-curricular topics.  Topics or themes are planned, either over a term or half a term’s duration. These are called MEDIUM TERM PLANS and contain the detail of the work to be covered with a progression of learning objectives. The plans indicate the subject being taught, how the work will be differentiated and what the pupil outcomes will be.  SHORT TERM PLANNING ie: weekly planning is carried out in detail for literacy and numeracy using an agreed format;  the children are taught as a group with some children being withdrawn for small group support and intervention as necessary.  setting may take place for numeracy or Literacy if the need arises in a year group  units of work are planned using the framework of the National Curriculum and the Literacy and Numeracy strategies;  the RE scheme of work follows the Haringey agreed syllabus for RE

Roles and Responsiblities  The Headteacher has the responsibility for the leadership of the curriculum and delegates responsibility to key staff:  Subject leaders are responsible for monitoring coverage of the curriculum and standards and for leading on improvement in identified areas (see school improvement plan).  class teachers ensure that the curriculum is taught and that the aims are achieved for their class.  the assessment leader (currently the HT) ensures that the progress of each pupil is tracked and, with the subject leaders, ensures that there is appropriate challenge support and intervention;  the Governors monitor the success of the curriculum at committee level and at whole Governing Body meetings through the termly Head Teacher’s report.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Teaching and Learning, behaviour and e-safety policies.

Adopted by the Governing Body at the meeting dated 22nd march 2011 Updated January 2012 Appendix a Curriculum Map Y1 – 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 Autumn Homes and London Settlers Fashion Smugglers and What does it 1 buildings around History of london Historical study of Changes through highwaymen mean to be us and significant british time from early to History Britain human? Who lives in our individuals eg history..Romans modern Timelines ICT animation Social homes, families pepys Design textile DT scenes awareness, and relationships SC3 Materials Mosaics and or patterns 3D collage rights History of family Structures art from place Sketching Apartheid and own life SC3 2 Changing studied, clay Printing SC1 How homes have materials Materials and focus..Micro changed Plague and properties organisms SC3 Materials keeping healthy Reversible and Word banks, Roamers & irreversible presenting info in simulations changes a range of forms. Use of digital E-books Modelling Media

2 Join and combine Painting/ Understand Water I am a scientist materials-Make a collage..scenes issues affecting Water,Solids, Investigate and African house Use maps and communities liquids, gas, explain changes in: art/Paint Artist..Lowry secondary changes, circuits Sculpture / Local geography sources Land use change separating Light and sound Mod rock study Finding and micro study local Sustainability Reversible and looking after presenting area..Brick lane issues re:water irreversible changes babies information Local Create a leaflet; ICT Data loggers Contrasting Evaluating work History..Brick lane Upload photos. locality abroad E.mail and Spreadsheets communicating Spring 1 Day and night Keeping Healthy Fairytales Castles Planes, trains and Poles apart Light and sound SC2 Looking after How they have automobiles Explorers Electricity ourselves 3.D scenes influenced locality Combinations of Environmental Oil pastels..Van Parts of the body Painting and and UK/ Tudors forces, represent changes Gough etc colour mixing ICT Control diagrammatically Effects of History of Drugs Ed Collage Textiles/ Weaving Changes through economic, Significant Sorting, grouping Map reading time from 1930 to technological individuals..Moon and classifying Skills modern. Timelines and scientific landing?? Endangered Design and make on the UK and species etc Control vehicles the wider world Food technology Control over time . Retrieve Radio Adverts Podcasting information Textiles Data bases Text and images 2 Contrasting Living and Hot air balloons Life and living Planet earth Habitats, locality?? Growing Forces (magnets, things The environment adaptation & gravity, friction, Structure and ,earth and solar food chains SC2 Green air resistance) function of human system States of Plants Design and make body systems incl Interdependence, matter & Classifying Telling a story: Life cycle of adaptation separation Plants in the local adventure stories plants Day and night Magnets, area using 2 simple Correct names of Reproduction gravity & Textiles..Plant Painting and human body Sustainability: the friction holders colour mixing- Teeth factors that affect Simulations- Clay plant pots Renee Magritte parts weather and climate. scratch Micro organisms why this is important Effects of drugs now and in the future and alcohol Water colour / e.mail Turner Data bases..Rivers Simulation Summe Toys Woodgreen Habitats Turkey An ancient Films r 1 Forces Push and Investigate local Contrasting Know where civilisation Greece ICT film trailers pull area and decide localities incl significant places History of film How things work on ways to rocks and are located UK Ancient Civilisation Art..Digital Programme improve it soils,habitats, and beyond study media devices Local History food chains Understand Democracy Light and History of toys identify ICT It’s a bugs life issues affecting Olympics shadows similarities and similarities and Textease communities Sculpture/ papier ArtPhotograph differences and differences History of Turkey mache y chronology Local Geography Traditional Art e-books, hyperlinks, Woodwork Data bases study and Gathering, P.P Presentations Adventure games fieldwork analysing and Programming Exchanging and interpreting data; Roamer sharing info, Food Technology reviewing and modifying 2 Make own Seasides Music and Dance .Senses Healthy Choices Changes, Toys..Wheels and Hist geog Changes through Light and sound challenges and axels Painting / collage time from early to Electricity SRE choices Observational SC2 5b modern Timelines Electrical and Healthy eating drawing and Comparing South African mechanical PSHE SRE painting of toys localities Dance Toys / games Spread Healthy Make films of Contrasting Making Music Poetry talking sheets..design a lifestyles toys..digital media geographical book budget, healthy food PSHE area. Web yearbook

Science, History, Geography, Art, D&T, ICT